Saint Louis and Touba in Senegal

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It is probably not hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement. Probably. Some nights the bed feels like it has an electric blanket on it. The fan moves hot air around and certainly feels better than when it is not on (when electricity is cut—at unpredictable times but several hours most days). In April mornings were pleasant until 10 or 11. In May the night cool was gone by 9AM. In the litany of greetings that are de rigeur, each person asks how about the heat; are you OK with this. Very few places have A/C, and some not much cooler than outside. The word is that it will be better with rain, but stories of flooding, the thought of muddy sand (which covers all areas as sidewalks), do not make the change appealing.

But I got some relief. I spent a weekend in Saint Louis, the colonial capital of French West Africa. Charming, lovely, cool. I went with a friend and we were even able to stay with another friend and had few expenses. This place was high on my to-do list. The main part of the city is an island with breezes that are 10 to 20 degrees lower than central Senegal. (One Senegalese man said it was good to have a chance to see this part of the country since where I live is “hell”). It is the most affluent, cleanest, and most cosmopolitan city I have seen here. Dakar, the current capital, has some of that but it is bustling and hectic, with little charm. The city of Thiès is nice, but still comes in second, at best.

Going to Saint Louis we got the unexpected bonus of going through Touba, the holiest city in Senegal, and we were there Friday at 2PM, the holiest time of the week. People were praying in many places and many (primarily men) were carrying their prayer rugs, heading for the mosque. There were people in the courtyards, gardens, porches, everywhere on the grounds of the mosques. This is the second largest city in the country, but it is completely run by the religious officials and the government keeps hands off. It is clean (unusually so), large, quiet. The entrance is newly tree lined. Signs tell you no smoking is allowed. When we stopped at a gas station and 2 passengers in our vehicle tried to go have cigarettes in a secluded place several people chased them and stopped them a few seconds after lighting up.

Each year for the Magal, a major religious holiday, thousands of people make a pilgrimage there. No hotels are in town, but there seem to be many apartments have been built for that, often the second floor over shops and businesses. The buildings are attractive, with tiled walls with closed windows and doors.

In Saint Louis there is a bridge with construction to get to the main island (and second one just beyond that). That made traffic only flow in one direction at a time, alternating every 20 minutes. The architecture is very colonial, similar to the Vieux Carré in New Orleans and parts of Port-au-Prince I knew (some of which are no longer be around). The buildings are right on the street, with balconies and wrought iron decorations. There are many foreigners there, Europeans, Americans, and North Africans. There are a number of bars and clubs. I saw a woman smoking for the first time, and a native at that. We ate at several good,pricey for here, restaurants. In Kaolack there are places to eat good food, but they are not city style restaurants. Someone sets up 3 or 4 makeshift tables and serves one main dish each day in undecorated surroundings.

Partly because this is an island, this is similar to Key West. Quaint, old, easy to walk around, but here there is housing of many price ranges, and some corrugated tin shacks. I got my feet into the Atlantic Ocean. It was cold, rough, and sand-stirred. There are beach resorts in the area, however.

Time left here is short. It has been so much more, and also often much less, than I could have imagined. Certainly another life-changing experience. Each day makes us a little different from the previous. These months have changed me more than could ever show in the outer. How wonderful to have been able to do this.

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Comments

[Yanick]

To God Be The Glory!
Hi Yanick, I agree with you, what an awesome opportunity you have experienced during your assignment in Senegal. What a blessing to be of service to others in another country. I'm glad that you have appreciated what you have been exposed to and what you have learned. Be Blessed. I look forward to your return home. Jackie Hazel